This invention relates to railroad cars, and more particularly to light weight, fuel efficient, all purpose railroad cars for transporting lading including wheeled vehicular trailers and containers.
Railroad cars are used to transport lading. The most common types of lading transported in this fashion are wheeled vehicular trailers and containers. The trailers are normally of the type which are adapted for attachment to a powered vehicular tractor by a king pin and fifth wheel connection. The containers are generally large rectangular-shaped bodies with reinforced bottom corners adapted to receive releasable locking pins which hold the containers in place. In both cases, the trailers and containers are positioned on and releasably secured to a railroad car, and are removed therefrom when the car reaches its destination.
Many railroad cars are constructed to handle either trailers or containers. All purpose cars, i.e., those which can accommodate both trailers as well as containers, have been constructed but, in most cases, are cumbersome, complicated and expensive at least partially because of the construction provided for support and retention of wheeled vehicular trailers and box-like containers. One example, which requires collapsible hitches and a container support cradle or frame, is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,853 to Terlecky et al. issued May 18, 1965. Such all purpose cars are generally large and heavy and require expensive constructions. They are also costly to operate.
Another important consideration in railroad cars of this type is the requirement for cushioning of the lading to minimize damage as a result of impact to the car. Importantly, it is desirable that such railroad cars be constructed to meet industry standards such as AAR cushioning specifications.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an all purpose railroad car capable of use in transporting wheeled vehicular trailers as well as rectangular containers, which car is relatively inexpensive and light weight and can utilize single axle wheel trucks. Furthermore, it is desirable that such an all purpose car construction employ relatively simple and low-cost cushioning means which achieves or exceeds industry cushioning objectives.